Earplugs provided with shanks are known in many different embodiments. It is often desirable to have such earplugs connected to each other in pairs, e.g. by a string or the like. An example of this is illustrated in our own U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,553.
It has furthermore been known for a long time to arrange earplugs in pairs on an elastic headband. In such a case as well, the earplugs can include a shank portion, which is connected to the headband. An example of this is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,600. Another example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,290, disclosing an earplug connection involving a ball joint.
However, it has often been found difficult to obtain satisfactory sealing or closing-off of the auditory canal with earplugs carried by a headband.